California’s New Lieutenant Governor

On November 23, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he is appointing State Senator Abel Maldonado to be California’s new Lieutenant Governor. Senator Maldonado is the author of the “top-two open primary” ballot measure that will be on the June 2010 ballot. The State Senate must confirm him, but it is extremely likely that the Senate will approve the appointment. Maldonado is a Republican.

The office of Lieutenant Governor is vacant because the incumbent, Democrat John Garamendi, was elected to Congress in a special election earlier this month. California elects its Lieutenant Governor separately from its Governor.

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California’s New Lieutenant Governor — 7 Comments

Maldonado, a nominal Republican, likely favors the “top two” monstrosity because, when he runs statewide, he wants non-Republicans to be able to vote for him in the first round (independents, of course, are now permitted to vote in the Republican, Democratic, and American Independent Party primaries).

Maldonado is a less expensive prostitute than Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

As much as I HATE my former ally Der Schwartzen Faker and also Kiddie Porn King Wade Sanders’ patron John Garamendi I have always found states that elect Governors and Lieutenant Governors separately really strange and illogical …………

#4: That sounds like the U. S. vice president, who is hand-picked by the president, and who is a heartbeat away from the most powerful office in the world.

Vice presidents, of course, rarely actually preside over the Senate.

Several states, to be sure, don’t have lieutenant governors.

In Tennessee, the lt. governor is chosen by the state Senate. The Democrat John Wilder held the office for many years, until recently.

For years, Louisiana had a tradition of every gubernatorial candidate picking a running mate for lieutenant governor, and the running mate of the winning gubernatorial candidate was elected lt. governor. This system went by the boards in 1964, however; John McKeithen was elected governor, but the incumbent lt. governor defeated McKeithen’s running mate.

I like the idea of the governor and lt. governor running on a ticket, like the president and vice president. It especially does not make sense for the governor and lt. governor to be from different parties. But I’m certain that most of the people of my state would be strongly opposed to taking away their power to elect those two officials separately.

In Mississippi, sitting lieutenant governors are jinxed when it comes to getting elected governor. Since 1919, only two incumbent lieutenant governors have won the governor’s race, although lots of them have tried.

The Lieutenant Governor in Texas presides over the Senate, and while it is in session is paid like a legislature. It wasn’t until after WWII that the VP was really considered part of the executive branch.

It is pretty much an accident that the USA have a President and VP elected on the same ticket.